Liver metastasis after oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC)

Hi and welcome to our group. Keytruda and other similar drugs have been used for many cancers and found to do amazing work in many cases, particularly squamous cell head and neck cancers. Long term effects are still unknown however.
Although I am not a doctor, I have observed how the medical community, against their own better judgement, assume that any cancer occurring after an initial cancer must be a metastasis of that initial cancer. Often it is not. You should ask, “How do you know this is a metastasis of the original cancer?”
Have you had a biopsy of the liver? PET scans can show all manner of things which could or could not be cancer. My PET scan will show I have lung cancer, for the last twenty years. Biopsy will show scar tissue from frosted lung fifty years ago. And I had tonsil cancer between those events. My point is, let’s not investigate cures until we know what we are really dealing with.
After our cancer battle, we always believe everything else is cancer retuning. I for one will be the first to let you know when that thought subsides.
Let’s hope for the best. And if, if this liver spot is a cancer type that Keytruda or similar drugs can combat, then we can go down that street. Good luck.

Thanks. I have had a PET scan and a follow up MRI-CT with contrast to confirm. They seem certain that it is from my throat cancer.

@scottmcf1431, I'm tagging other members like @kathyheidt @sepdvm @thomastunstall, who have written about living with metastatic head and neck cancer.

Have you had your follow-up appointments to learn about the treatment plan? How are you doing?

@colleenyoung
Thanks Colleen.

I’ve been told that I am somewhat of a “unique” case by one of the oncologists. My tumour is 1.6 cm and it is on the outside of segment 5 not near any main blood vessels of the liver. My LFT’s are very good too. He thinks there is a possibility that we could just remove it and that may be it, because he’s not 100% certain that it is a metastasis. I am waiting for the team to make a decision of whether just to excuse it or to give me a couple of months of Keytruda first just to make sure that there aren’t any other metastases. I won’t hear anything back until at least next week. Have some hope now.

@scottmcf1431, I'll be interested to hear what you find out next week. Great that there are options and hope.

@scottmcf1431 A Navdx blood test could show any cancer activity. Is this an option for you?

I had a wedge resection of my liver on January 30th. I received the results today. The biopsy showed that it was a metastasis from my OPSCC, they removed the entire tumour and it had clear margins. The oncologist says that I am “cancer-free” with no evidence of disease. He said we will continue to follow up with scans every 3-4 months, but for now, I do not require any treatment. He said that he believes that this is an oligometastasis and he obviously can’t make any guarantees, but said that I could potentially not have any further occurrences of metastases. He even used the term potentially cured. I am happy but still concerned about the future. I have a scan coming up, so we will see where we stand at that point but now I have some hope and am cautiously optimistic.

@scottmcf1431 Good news. The liver tends to regenerate as well. The worry about reoccurrence just means you are quite normal, as I don’t think any cancer survivor ever stops thinking about it. Glad they found what they found and had it removed. Good health to you.

Hello @scottmcf1431, I also have metastatic SCC. Beginning 18 mos after my initial surgery I have had 2 to my lung, one to a muscle sheath, and the last to a kidney and surrounding lymph nodes. While the lung wasn't surprising to the medical team, the kidney certainly was as it is an uncommon location for a met. While the original 3 were all removed surgically, the last was treated with Libtayo, an immunotherapy that works like Keytruda on the same pathway but proven to be more effective against skin vs mucous membrane sourced SCC. Mine began in my ear canal, not oral. In a year on Libtayo my new met was gone and I was on it for another year plus then stopped due to the appetite suppression side effect. I just had scans and still clear after 3 years off the drug. That is very encouraging to me. Years ago I had read that Metastatic SCC was not curable, and my Mayo oncology fellow at the time agreed. Perhaps with these new immunotherapies that will change and cure may be possible?
By staying on top of your condition with frequent scans and rechecks you are giving your medical team the opportunity to treat issues early and successfully. It is 14 years this spring for me, and I hope you are successful in maintaining control of your cancer for many more years than that. With new treatments being approved we continue to find success in living with cancer.

@sepdvm so glad to read about things going good for you!